Pickering v. Board of Education of Township High School District 205
United States Supreme Court
391 U.S. 563 (1968)
Relevant factsFree
Teacher Marvin Pickering (plaintiff) wrote a signed letter to a local newspaper criticizing the school board's handling of a bond issue and its allocation of funds between academics and athletics amid a proposed tax increase; the board fired him after a hearing finding the letter contained false statements questioning the board's integrity and competence, and Illinois courts upheld the termination.
IssueFree
Whether, under the First Amendment, a teacher can be terminated for commenting on a matter of public importance absent proof the teacher knowingly or recklessly made false statements.